Breaking Free

How I Escaped Polygamy, the Flds Cult, and My Father, Warren Jeffs

In this searing memoir of survival in the spirit of Stolen Innocence, the daughter of Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed Prophet of the FLDS Church, takes you deep inside the secretive polygamist Mormon fundamentalist cult run by her family and how she escaped it. Born into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Rachel Jeffs was raised in a strict patriarchal culture defined by subordinate sister wives and men they must obey. No one in this radical splinter sect of the Mormon Church was more powerful or terrifying than its leader Warren Jeffs-Rachel's father. Living outside mainstream Mormonism and federal law, Jeffs arranged marriages between under-age girls and middle-aged and elderly members of his congregation. In 2006, he gained international notoriety when the FBI placed him on its Ten Most Wanted List. Though he is serving a life sentence for child sexual assault, Jeffs' iron grip on the church remains firm, and his edicts to his followers increasingly restrictive and bizarre. In Breaking Free, Rachel blows the lid off this taciturn community made famous by John Krakauer's bestselling Under the Banner of Heaven to offer a harrowing look at her life with Warren Jeffs, and the years of physical and emotional abuse she suffered. Sexually assaulted, compelled into an arranged polygamous marriage, locked away in "houses of hiding" as punishment for perceived transgressions, and physically separated from her children, Rachel, Jeffs' first plural daughter by his second of more than fifty wives, eventually found the courage to leave the church in 2015. But Breaking Free is not only her story-Rachel's experiences illuminate those of her family and the countless others who remain trapped in the strange world she left behind. A shocking and mesmerizing memoir of faith, abuse, courage, and freedom, Breaking Free is an expose of religious extremism and a beacon of hope for anyone trying to overcome personal obstacles.

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Well written and very eye opening about FLDS. It helped me understand why very few people have asked for help or left the cult group because it's difficult to get out. It's even harder on uneducated & inexperienced women who are more likely to have children at younger ages. With no higher education and no skills, it's challenging for the women to leave and find a way to support themselves in the real world. Rachel felt trapped for many years before she finally got out with her 5 children. I truly believe the reason why Rachel was able to get out is because of her strong spirit; she knew very early on that something wasn't right and she often questioned her father's teachings and commands. Rachel still experienced intense pressure from the FLDS community in the outside world once she left. Even with things getting out such as Warren molesting and raping young children, it's difficult for me to see how his followers still blindly support him. It's absolutely disgusting of how manipulative he is and how he got away with sexual abuse for many years before being caught and put in jail. I hope Rachel's book will help others still in the FLDS group to see the truth.

“100 Must-Read Books About Life in Cults and Oppressive Religious Sects”
by Elizabeth Allen. posted January 27, 2017, at Book Riot
https://bookriot.com/2017/01/27/100-must-read-books-about-life-in-cults/

Absolutely amazing book, well written. I’ve always been fascinated by the flds especially with all the programs now on tv so I knew of a few people she was talking about in the book. I recommend this book 5+ stars not for the faint hearted though I read this book in 2 days couldn’t put it down:

Very interesting, easy read, but painful at times. I thought I knew a little about this story, but this book tells so much more. She's a good author, the story moved along, was not boring for sure. It really makes one wonder, but I guess if its all you've ever known. I'm glad she got out, and seems to be doing well. I hope they keep her father in prison for a very long time!! I can't believe the hold he has over the people, after all has been exposed about him. I'm glad there were people to help her when she got out, cuz raising 5 kids on your own is no easy thing. Never mind changing your whole life. Highly recommend this book.

Well written. Couldn't put it down although it was very difficult to read some of the abuse that went on. I can hardly believe that the FLDS people still follow all the rules Warren Jeffs sends out from prison weekly. The rules he imposes on them become very bizarre. I really recommend this book.